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610
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BALINESE ROOM $100 (GRAY) GAMBLING CHIP
This crest and seal chip is from the illegal casino called the Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas. The chip is in excellent condition. It measures 1-1/2 inches in diameter. This chip ranks in the top 10 of Galveston chips and is a must for any Texas collection. The infamous Balinese Room was perhaps the most exotic of all 1940-1950s casinos on the Gulf Coast. Galveston Island's "B-Room" was the jewel in the crown of the Maceo syndicate's illegal gambling empire. Like the Sui Jen before her, the B-room sat on a pier at 21st and Seawall Blvd. in the Gulf of Mexico. These quality, superbly-crafted crest and seal chips from our collection are featured on the front cover of Gaming Times magazine, November issue. They were present on the gaming tables of the casino when such famous headliners such as Sophie Tucker, Burns and Allen, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Phil Harris, Gene Autry, Joe E. Lewis, and Jack Benny played the B-Room. The length of the long breezeway that led to the club out on the pier was known as "Ranger Run." During a raid, the buzzer sounded in the gaming room out above the gulf waves, and chips, cards, dice, and slot machines were stowed away in a walk-in safe in less than two minutes before the fastest running Rangers could reach the gaming room. Often the band struck up the University of Texas alma mater, "The Eyes of Texas," and patriotic Texas casino guests rose to their feet in the restaurant while Rangers attempted to force their way through the crowd. According to one former Maceo employee, the B-Room was raided on 64 consecutive nights without a single bust.
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611
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CREST & SEAL BALINESE ROOM, RED $100
This crest and seal chip is from the illegal casino the Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas. The chip is in excellent condition. It measures 1-1/2 inches in diameter. This chip ranks in the top 10 of Galveston chips and is a must for any Texas collection. The infamous Balinese Room was perhaps the most exotic of all 1940-1950s casinos on the Gulf Coast. Galveston Island's "B-Room" was the jewel in the crown of the Maceo syndicate's illegal gambling empire. Like the Sui Jen before her, the B-room sat on a pier at 21st and Seawall Blvd. in the Gulf of Mexico. These quality, superbly-crafted crest and seal chips from our collection are featured on the front cover of Gaming Times magazine, November issue. They were present on the gaming tables of the casino when such famous headliners such as Sophie Tucker, Burns and Allen, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Phil Harris, Gene Autry, Joe E. Lewis, and Jack Benny played the B-Room. The length of the long breezeway that led to the club out on the pier was known as "Ranger Run." During a raid, the buzzer sounded in the gaming room out above the gulf waves, and chips, cards, dice, and slot machines were stowed away in a walk-in safe in less than two minutes before the fastest running Rangers could reach the gaming room. Often the band struck up the University of Texas alma mater, "The Eyes of Texas," and patriotic Texas casino guests rose to their feet in the restaurant while Rangers attempted to force their way through the crowd. According to one former Maceo employee, the B-Room was raided on 64 consecutive nights without a single bust.
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612
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GALVESTON HOLLYWOOD DINNER CLUB CHIP
This beautiful crest and seal chip is from the Hollywood Dinner Club in Galveston, Texas. It is an exceptional find and ranks easily in the Top 10 of Galveston chips. It is in excellent condition and a must for any Texas collection. The chip measures 1-1/2 inches in diameter and has the ribbed edge. The most exclusive speakeasy in the country at the time, the Hollywood Dinner Club was one of the first in the country to have air conditioning (called refrigerated air in the early days). The Maceo brothers and Jakie Friedman opened the Hollywood Dinner Club in 1926 at Stewart Road and 61st St. on Galveston Island. The first big band radio broadcasts originated there, featuring Guy Lombardo, Harry James, Duke Ellington, Glen Miller, and Spike Jones. This high-quality crest and seal $100 chip passed on the green felt of illegal craps and blackjack tables, bet by rich tourists and even richer oil and cattlemen from Dallas and Houston. This is one of many Galveston illegal chips from our collection showcased on the front cover of the November issue of Gaming Times magazine. When Prohibition ended in 1933 and drinking was legalized, the illegal gambling at the HDC continued as strong as ever until 1939 when the Texas Rangers padlocked the doors. The Maceos continued to use the HDC as a warehouse for illegal gaming paraphernalia for their newer Turf Athletic Club (TAC) gaming empire. The HDC was raided one last time in 1957 during the Texas Rangers' "mother of all raids."
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613
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TEXAS CREST AND SEAL GAMBLING CHIP, SUI JEN
In our opinion, this chip ranks in the Top Two of Galveston chips. Not only is it highly collectible, but it should bring the most money. This crest and seal chip is in excellent condition and is a must for any Texas collection. The chip measures 1-1/2 inches in diameter and has a smooth edge. This red dragon $100 crest and seal chip is one of the major keys to Galveston chip collecting, and is one of the many Galveston illegal chips from our collection featured on the front cover of the November issue of Gaming Times magazine. When the prohibition amendment was passed into law in 1920, the Maceo brothers, Rose and Sam, started "rum running" from offshore ships and soon had enough money to open a restaurant and speakeasy club on a pier at 21st and Seawall Blvd. called the Chop Suey, later renamed the Grotto. Closed in 1929 for illegal gambling violations, and then damaged by a storm, it was remodeled as the Sui Jen opening in 1932. (Sui Jen is pronounced Swee, as in "sweet" and wren, like the bird.). While the meaning of the name long has been debated, according to Trinity University Professor Dr. Meng Yeh, the Chinese translation stands for a Confuscius saying, "Follow Benevolence." Ironically, English kings used the word benevolence to describe mandatory land taxes. After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Maceos closed the Sui Jen's Tokio Ballroom, removing the oriental decor and remodeled the club as the infamous Balinese Room.
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